Don’t Blame Don King For Shine Fights Cancellation

If you’re one of the unfortunate fighters or fans who showed up to the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C. for Shine Fights “Worlds Collide” last Saturday night, don’t blame Don King for the shows last-minute cancellation, blame Shine Fights. According to the North Carolina athletic commission, Shine Fights failed to provide a doctor or post the required bond to cover the fighters’ purses. That’s why they pulled the plug, not because Don King succeeded in yanking Ricardo Mayorga off the card.

The North Carolina Boxing Authority canceled the May 15 event – scheduled for Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C. – because Shine Fights officials did not provide the remainder of a bond required to cover fighter purses and did not provide a ringside physician, an official said.

“The show was canceled over concerns [about] the fighters’ safety and well-being,” Terrance Merriweather, the superintendent of the North Carolina Boxing Authority, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Shine Fights CEO Devin Price said he believed they had everything worked out, but apparently the commission didn’t agree. Price assured all the fighters would be “taken care of,” however that seems to be an ongoing process and it’s not clear how much of their purse each fighter will receive.

In the video above (via RealTimeMMA), Nick Thompson and a horde of angry fans weigh in on the cancellation. Some fans’ ire was a little misguided, but it’s hard to blame them considering how it all went down. At least they got refunds.